The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 will include $100 million for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program [grants that were made available through the Fire Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act], according to Joe M. Allbaugh, FEMA director. Allbaugh made the announcement at a meeting with leaders of the major fire service organizations. The grant program was inaugurated in the FY 2001 budget. Total grant program funding ($300 million) for the FY 2002 budget originally had been cut in the Bush Administration�s proposed budget plan. The proposed $100 million FY 2002 funding must be approved by Congress.
Referring to himself as a strong advocate for the fire service, Allbaugh said that he had requested that President Bush appoint him as the FEMA director. Continuing the grant program, Allbaugh said, �acknowledges the fire service community�s important role as our nation�s first responders to disasters.� Over the next few months, Allbaugh said he plans to meet with national fire service organizations and first responders.
国会议员库特·韦尔登（Curt Weldon）（R-PA）的共和党议员是前志愿者消防局长兼国会消防局核心小组的创始人，与布什管理和预算办公室（OMB）董事米奇·丹尼尔斯（Mitch Daniels）会面，讨论资助资金的资金消防员援助赠款计划。布什政府提议的2002财年预算不包括为这项新建立的计划提供资金，因此消防部门的国会支持者感到困扰。与布什总统举行的会议的其他国会消防局支持者是代表Sherwood Boehlert（R-NY），Fire Caid小组联合主席；罗伯特·阿德霍尔特（R-AL）；霍华德·科布尔（R-NC）；Jo Ann Davis（R-VA）；罗宾·海斯（Robin Hayes）（R-NC）；南希·约翰逊（R-CT）；Frank Lobiondo（R-NJ）； Todd Platts (R-PA); Nick Smith (R-MI); and Greg Walden (R-OR).
Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., (D-NJ), author of the FIRE Act, in a press release in February, called the massive cuts the President proposed for public safety programs �totally unacceptable� and a �recipe for disaster.� He said the President would have to �answer to the hundreds of thousands of firefighters across the nation for his decision to kill this most worthy program� and that the program had �overwhelming bipartisan support.�
火灾服务一直在动员起来以协调一致的方式解决这个问题。总统最初提议的预算在印第安纳波利斯的FDIC打破了2002财年的全部2002年消防拨款拨款的消息。成千上万的与会者签署了请愿书，要求总统恢复资金。许多消防员将请愿表送回了部门以寻求签名并转发给总统。随后，消防部门与FEMA董事Allbaugh之间进行了对话，后者已告知预算恢复1亿美元。
Meanwhile, some fire service members and organizations are pushing for restoration of the entire $300 million. On March 4, 2001, the Board of Directors of the National Association of Counties (NACo) adopted a resolution supporting $300 million in funding for the FEMA FIRE grant program in FY 2002. The NACo is encouraging state, county, and municipal officials to contact their representatives in Congress to express their strong support for the grant program.
